Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and MPs (From top left) Wakili Edward Muriu (Gatanga), Chege Njuguna (Kandara), Mary Wamaua (Maragua), Wakili Edward Muriu (Gatanga) and Peter Kihungi (Kangema) .
Murang'a County, often profiled as the cradle of the Agikuyu community, rebelled against President William Ruto in his quest to throw Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua under the bus.
When the 291 signatures were read in the National Assembly by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, who tabled the impeachment motion, six of the nine sitting MPs had not appended theirs.
Those who rebelled are Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, Mary wa Maua (Maragua), Chege Njuguna (Kandara), Edward Muriu (Gatanga), Joseph Munyoro (Kigumo) and Kangema's Peter Kihungi.
Those who appended their signatures to send the DP home are Edwin Mugo (Mathioya), Woman Rep Betty Maina, and nominated MP Sabina Chege.
Murang'a County is profiled as the original home of the Agikuyu's first parents--Mr Gikuyu and Mrs Mumbi--who together gave birth to nine daughters at their Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga home (now a shrine) of whom eight got married to give birth to the community.
Though the narrative does not clearly define where the husbands, who married the Gikuyu and Mumbi daughters came from, Murang'a has gone right ahead to carry itself as the epicenter of political decisions that end up shaping the direction the Mountain follows.
On Wednesday, the 'rebels' said they are unapologetic, each giving reasons for not supporting the Gachagua ouster motions.
Gachagua's replacement
Mr Nyoro could not be reached for comment, his aides saying he is on a tour of Dubai.
A man, who has in the recent past come out as a politician of great promise and suggested widely as Gachagua's replacement, Nyoro's game plan in this impeachment debate has remained under wraps.
"Nyoro is my friend and I support him in many ways. But for this, let me only speak about myself, he can speak for himself," said Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu, who has thrice called for the sacking of Mr Gachagua and be replaced with Mr Nyoro.
Mr Nyutu said: "I do not support the president in this ouster motion, I now know he formed a broad-based government not to stabilise the country, but to fix My Kenya".
Mr Nyoro had spiritedly opposed the National Dialogue Committee that has since submitted its report to the president.
Since the formation of the broad-based government that brought in Mr Raila Odinga's men, Mr Nyoro has remained silent and has also not commented on the issue of the Gen Z protests that lasted a month since June 25, 2024, as well as the Gachagua troubles.
However, political pundits insist that Mr Nyoro is a key component of President Ruto's political script ahead of 2027, and is among those to benefit should Mr Gachagua get deposed.
Mr Nyutu said, "this is not the time to start balloting for the gains of Mr Gachagua's ouster since it is not right, it is immoral and a community blot".
Among the allegations levelled against Mr Gachagua is the accumulation of strange wealth in the past two years he has been in office.
'Demean my community'
"They are telling us that Gachagua has accumulated strange wealth...we have many others in the president's circle who have bought helicopters, lands, hotels and are walking around vomiting on us the leftovers of their good life," said Maragua MP, wa Maua.
She said, "the grounds being tabled are frivolous and only aimed at helping the president push through a passionate agenda of splitting Mt Kenya region".
She said, "I cannot help the president or anyone else to demean my community for whatever reason".
Mr Kihungi said most of those MPs from the Mt Kenya region, who appended their signatures to commence the process of removing the DP, were threatened, coerced, motivated, and fixed.
"The people we sent to this parliament as a region go into the annals of history as the greatest cowards of our times...in fact the word is sellouts," said Mr Kihungi.
Mr Kihungi said history shall judge harshly all the Mt Kenya MPs, who closed ranks with the president to scheme against their very own son (Gachagua) and mercilessly slaughtered him at the altar of selfish politics.
Mr Muriu said, "Tuesday, October 1, 2024, shall remain a sad day for the Mt Kenya region since it marked the moment of political betrayal and deceit against its community".
He said "I want to remain well clear of the repercussions certainly to follow...I know our people and their reaction to betrayal...this is a day to mark on our calendars because certainly, the punishment is coming".
Mr Njuguna described the impeachment scheme as "Mt Kenya's 2027 nominations which will determine who will retain his or her seat".
He said there was no way he would have walked "into a political furnace just like that for a promise of something temporary that will not last beyond 2027".
Mr Munyoro said, "impeaching Mr Gachagua is not a priority and someone is playing us...trying to divide and rule us, a ploy that will fail".
Mr Munyoro said, "they are telling us that they are fighting tribalism by impeaching Mr Gachagua, yet recently, we saw some of them accompany their son serving as temporary Inspector General of Police to court to defend him against impunity".
Ms Wa Maua said, "let us now see how the schemers will behave and navigate this nonsense...the balancing act will boomerang on their faces...you remove him, regions will demand their own be picked and that might collapse this rule".
A big surprise supporter of the impeachment motion was nominated MP, Sabina Chege, who teamed up with Woman Rep Betty Maina and Mathioya MP Edwin Mugo to append their signatures.
While it was expected of Ms Maina and Mr Mugo to support, Ms Chege had on August 2, 2024, accompanied Mr Gachagua to the Gatanga constituency, where she vowed to defend him.
Ms Chege dismissed the impeachment talk as petty gossip and gave President Ruto a tongue-lashing.
“I would like to caution the president that his government came to power through invoking the name of God, and is now looking for solutions from individuals, and relying on politics of personalities (in the formation of broad-based government). To the DP, cease small fears and work, I will support you,” she had said.
Muranga County Governor Irungu Kang'ata is yet to make his stand known together with nominated senator, Ms Veronica Maina.
However, on August 2, 2024, Murang'a Deputy Governor Stephen Munania declared that “Murang'a County is firmly behind Gachagua as our team leader, especially the youths who follow me”.
“Let it be known by all and sundry that you (Gachagua) are our wall and forte. Foxes won't manage to bring you down. As our cornerstone, anyone who tries to touch you in Murang'a will meet me and my youths on one,” he said.
Mr Munania delivered Governor Kang'ata’s apologies saying “he is attending to other matters outside this county”.
